First we thought the Phillies had him. Then the deal "hit a snag". Now today the Phillies announced that they have signed Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to a three-year, $12 million contract.
The deal was to be much longer and for much more money. The originally reported agreement was six years and $50 million. The difference suggests that Gonzalez's physical revealed something that made the team reconsider. But this deal is pretty minor comparatively and the Phillies still got their guy.
The reason that reports use Gonzalez's middle name Alfredo is that the Baltimore Orioles have a starting pitcher named Miguel Gonzalez. Why not use the middle initial? The Baltimore pitcher is Miguel Angel Gonzalez, so that won't work. No matter what, the Phillies can call their Gonzalez signed, and that's good news.
